South Valley, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in South Valley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in South Valley and Bernalillo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Bernalillo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 1,291 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Bernalillo County compares with New Mexico
Bernalillo County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Bernalillo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Bernalillo County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 17.1 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 62% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.4 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 22% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.3% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 73% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.9% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 41% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.7% | 46.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.2% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Compared with New Mexico, Bernalillo County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above New Mexico on morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in South Valley: 1.9× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of South Valley (4.0 → 7.8).
Overview
Since 2015, 1,291 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Bernalillo County. They injured 523 people and killed 92.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in South Valley since 2015, this page uses Bernalillo County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 7.1%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.7% of truck crashes, vs 46.8% for New Mexico.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.1% of truck crashes.
3.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 12.1% across New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-40 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (23). Next come I-25 (6), SR-45 (3) and Central Ave (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 0.4%, compared with 0.4% in New Mexico.
Route planning tips for South Valley fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-40 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 25.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above New Mexico; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Crash reporting for 2025 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Bernalillo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 23 |
| I-25 | 6 |
| SR-45 | 3 |
| Central Ave | 2 |
| Mu-Central Ave | 2 |
| SR-47 | 2 |
| SR-500 | 2 |
| 2nd St Nw | 1 |
| 4th Street | 1 |
| 98th St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Bernalillo County) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 106 |
| I 40 West Bd Fw | 71 |
| I 40 East Bd Fw | 64 |
| I-25 | 23 |
| Coors Blvd Nw | 23 |
| I 25 South Bd Fw | 18 |
| I 25 North Bd Fw | 15 |
| I 40 West-Bd Fw | 15 |
South Valley at a glance
| Land area | 29.0 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 87105) | $55,644 |
| Median home value (ZIP 87105) | $218,276 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Bernalillo County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13 | — | 5.7 |
| 2000s | 54 | +312% | 5.0 |
| 2010s | 117 | +118% | 5.2 |
| 2020s | 87 | -25% | 11.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 13 to 87. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 6.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 11.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about South Valley
How many truck crashes happen in South Valley?
1,291 truck crashes have been reported in Bernalillo County since 2015, with 92 deaths and 523 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in South Valley?
Since 2015, I-40 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of South Valley: 23.
When do most truck crashes happen in South Valley?
Truck crashes in Bernalillo County peak in September, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in South Valley?
Since 2015, Bernalillo County has reported 5 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in South Valley compared with New Mexico?
Per 100,000 residents, Bernalillo County has 17.1 truck crashes a year; New Mexico has 45.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in South Valley?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.